Not A One!

The Sentencirg Project dropped a report on racial disparities in incarceration rates and probabilities that found that in NJ a Black resident is 12 times as likely to end up with a prison sentence than a white resident.  That is the worse probability disparity in the nation with most states averaging around a 6 to 1 ratiio which itself is horrific.

Decarcerate the Garden State has responded with actions, articles, a flier and demands.  We are calling for racial score cards for county prosecutor officers, courts and police precincts.  The system analyzes everything everyone does and mines the data for marketing and other purposes.  It should be quite easy to take the Sentencing Project report to the next level to determine what prosecutors, judges, police forces employ what factors that contribute to these racial disparities.

We have also called for immediate commutations of prison sentences for those whose arrest, prosecution and / or sentencing was in any way tainted by racial factors.

So far there is silence on our demands which have been communicated to every assembly member and senator and to most of the media outlets of NJ.  The media has not inquired of us about this matter either even though press releases have been sent to most of the major NJ news outlets about this matter.

While we plan on continuing to push the demands outside court houses, like we did at the Essex County Courthous on June 30, and everywhere across the state of NJ, I am also hoping that using music and lyricism can possibly contribute to the effort.

While Rev. Boyer and others did a fantastic job of getting a bill passed in the Senate (so far) calling for racial impact statements on criminal justice related legislation in the future, such measures do nothing about those whose lives are currently in the process of being ruined due to incarceration that was in part influenced by racial factors in policing, prosecution and sentencing.

How is it possible with this 12:1 ratio the elected leaders of NJ have not found 1 NJ state incarcerated woman or man worthy of release because the suggestion of any racial factor at any step of the process?

The following are lyrics for a song that I am hoping can be recorded musically.  I will likely work with my musician son on a rock and roll version but am definitely interested in a hip hop version as well.  If you are interested in working on putting this together - please call or text 908-881-5275

Not A One!
Copyright 2016 Decarcerate the Garden State, Permissions Granted

Twelve to One but . . .
                Not A One
Twelve to One but . . .
                Not A One

Not A One Got Out
                Since they drop the report
Not A One give a shout
                Nor'd the pile get sort

No two eyes looking
                For misconducted case
They want you to forget
                How they prosecute by race

Political Silence
                Bout the 12 to 1 Stat
Make us all wonder
                Are we crazy to ask

Who's getting out?
                For the bias is 12 to one
Time to stand and shout
                Put injustice on the run

They plan not to peek
                In the prosecutors’ file
They trying to keep it under wraps coz
                the Facts are truly vile

They did their predictive
                Analytical
It said you are
                A Criminal
Locked up for decades
                They asking why we’re cynical

About their phony promise
                Of some future reform
While years tick away
                They stringin us along

Justice delayed
                Is Justice Denied
Many are getting paid
                For the many locked inside

So they wobble the charges       
                They create a big fear
They force a plea coz
                The ev’dence’s’not there

Pola trickster say it
                Not a One
Prosecutor Say it
                Not a One
Police ova see-er say
                Not A One
But Media Not Sayin
                Bout the Not A One

Twelve to One but . . .
                Not A One
Twelve to One but . . .
                Not A One